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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: cap · bulb · wave · firm · date · jam · cell · bear

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cell — a phone
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cell — in biology

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