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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: rash · mate · lean · bear · bulb · bound · jam · bay

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bound — certain
  4. lean — to bend
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bulb — for light
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lean — thin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rash — a series
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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