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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · cap · spell · jam · lean · chip · fall · prune

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. season — in sport
  3. lean — to bend
  4. cap — a hat
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. spell — letters
  7. prune — to trim
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. spell — a short time
  10. chip — for betting
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cap — of ice
  14. lean — thin
  15. spell — magic
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — a lid
  18. season — of the year
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. jam — a tight spot

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com