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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: wound · trunk · tube · lean · jam · pitcher · bulb · patient

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. lean — thin
  15. tube — the underground
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. tube — a container
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. trunk — of a car

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