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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: can · bulb · arm · drill · lean · jam · row · bear

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. can — a tin
  3. bear — the animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. drill — army training
  7. bear — the animal
  8. row — to paddle
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — thin
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. row — a line
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. drill — a practice
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bulb — for light
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lean — to bend

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