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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 · bat · face · fork · snap · pound · calf

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pound — a weight
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bat — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. fork — in a road
  12. snap — to click
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bulb — for light
  22. face — to confront
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. face — to point toward

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