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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 · bulb · cabinet · chair · wake · toast · hand · jam

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. hand — help
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. hand — in cards
  19. snap — to click
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. chair — a leader
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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