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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wind · ball · date · content · lie · plane · jam

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wind — moving air
  8. content — happy
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. date — the fruit
  11. ball — a dance
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bulb — for light
  24. content — the amount

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