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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 · object · dip · bulb · cap · lie · content · straw

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. object — an aim
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. object — to protest
  8. bulb — for light
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. content — happy
  11. cap — of ice
  12. content — the amount
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. dip — to sink
  15. object — a thing
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cap — a lid
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. lie — to recline

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