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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: leaves · jam · chest · rash · bulb · trunk · sharp · suit

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. suit — clothes
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rash — hasty
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rash — a series
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chest — of your body
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. sharp — clever
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. chest — a box

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