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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: bass · jam · bulb · wound · arm · lie · cell · cap

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wound — an injury
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cell — a phone
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cap — a hat
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cap — of ice

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