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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bank — for money
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. content — happy
  6. bank — for money
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mate — a friend
  9. hand — help
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bank — of a river
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bulb — for light
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. wax — to grow
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mate — a partner

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