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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: chip · rock · sharp · spring · bulb · jam · lash · wake

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. spring — the season
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. chip — for betting
  12. spring — a coil
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. spring — of water
  18. sharp — clever
  19. chip — to eat
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wake — a trail
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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