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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: squash · fall · board · press · jam · last · leaves · deal

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. last — finally
  5. fall — the season
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. board — a committee
  10. press — to push
  11. last — to go on
  12. board — to get on
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. press — a publisher
  17. last — final
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. press — newspapers
  20. deal — to handle
  21. squash — the sport
  22. fall — to drop
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. squash — to crush

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