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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. jam — a tight spot
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bank — of a river
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wax — to grow
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bank — for money
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cell — a phone
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bank — for money
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. foot — part of the body
  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