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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: snap · band · sharp · mate · net · plane · bulb · jam

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. band — a ring
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. net — for catching
  5. band — a music group
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mate — to breed
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mate — a partner
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. net — after costs
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. snap — to click
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. mate — a friend
  21. sharp — clever
  22. net — in sport
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. jam — in traffic

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