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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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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: jam · bulb · toast · staff · cell · plane · snap · shower

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. toast — bread
  8. cell — in biology
  9. staff — a stick
  10. plane — a tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. shower — to wash
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. staff — employees
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. snap — to click

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