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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: trunk · shower · can · kid · jam · bulb · charge · straw

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — in control
  6. shower — to wash
  7. kid — child
  8. charge — a price
  9. can — a tin
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. can — to be able to
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. shower — rain
  19. can — a tin
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bulb — for light
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. kid — to tease

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