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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: jam · bulb · lean · season · wake · can · fall · roll

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lean — thin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. roll — a list
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. can — a tin
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wake — a trail
  15. roll — a cake
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fall — the season
  24. bulb — for light

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