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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · date · fall · bulb · jam · ball · stick · current

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bulb — for light
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fall — the season
  8. current — of water
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fall — to drop
  11. current — happening now
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. current — electric
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bulb — of a plant

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