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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: wave · key · snap · arm · jam · bulb · pop · row

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. row — a line
  3. key — the most important part
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. key — in music
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. snap — to click
  8. key — for a lock
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pop — soda
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bulb — for light
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bulb — of a plant

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