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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. tube — a container
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bound — obliged
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. tube — the underground
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wax — to grow
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bound — certain
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kid — child
  23. suit — to fit
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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