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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: bear · game · wax · nail · mate · chip · jam · bulb

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bulb — for light
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bear — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mate — a partner
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. game — wild animals
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bear — the animal
  18. game — a match
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chip — for betting
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. chip — to eat

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