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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. rash — a series
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bound — certain
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. toast — bread

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