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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: tube · snap · bulb · can · face · jam · bat · mark

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mark — a grade
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bulb — for light
  9. can — a tin
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. snap — to click
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. face — part of the head
  15. can — a tin
  16. bat — the animal
  17. tube — a container
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bulb — for light

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