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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: jam · bore · bay · squash · chest · bulb · rash · snap

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. snap — to click
  11. chest — a box
  12. bulb — for light
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rash — a series
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rash — hasty
  24. chest — of your body

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