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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wave · bass · trunk · chair · jam · bulb · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bass — low music
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bass — the fish
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bulb — for light
  16. snap — to click
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. chair — a leader
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. trunk — of a car

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