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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · bulb · tube · fan · jam · scale · chest · shower

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. chest — of your body
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. scale — in music
  8. rash — a series
  9. chest — a box
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. tube — the underground
  14. scale — size or range
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bulb — for light
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tube — a container
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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