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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: fan · season · can · lean · pass · content · cell · jam

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lean — thin
  3. can — a tin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cell — in biology
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. can — a tin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. season — in sport
  14. pass — a permit
  15. content — happy
  16. can — to be able to
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. content — the amount
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. season — of the year
  24. cell — in a prison

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