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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: mouse · jam · kick · roll · last · stand · bulb · bound

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. last — final
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. last — to go on
  11. kick — in football
  12. last — finally
  13. bound — certain
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bound — tied together
  17. roll — a list
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bulb — for light
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bound — obliged
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. roll — a cake

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