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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: rash · chest · jam · land · bulb · saw · wax · ruler

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bulb — for light
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. chest — a box
  6. bulb — for light
  7. land — to come down
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rash — hasty
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. chest — of your body
  17. land — ground
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. land — a country
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wax — to grow

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