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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: tube · toast · bat · bulb · lash · content · jam · coach

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. toast — bread
  7. content — the amount
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. tube — a container
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. content — happy
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. tube — the underground
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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