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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: bulb · trunk · chest · bass · dip · calf · jam · season

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bulb — for light
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bass — low music
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. chest — a box
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. season — of the year
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bass — the fish
  20. season — in sport
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. dip — a sauce

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