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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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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: bulb · jam · coach · spring · cell · fork · bay · tear

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. spring — of water
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. spring — a coil
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bulb — for light
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cell — a phone
  21. spring — the season
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. tear — from crying

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