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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: firm · bulb · chest · land · jam · leaves · calf · mate

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bulb — for light
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mate — to breed
  5. land — a country
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bulb — for light
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. land — ground
  13. firm — a company
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mate — a partner
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. land — to come down
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. firm — decided
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mate — a friend

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