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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: jam · chest · leaves · rock · bulb · wax · object · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. object — to protest
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rock — music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. object — a thing
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. object — an aim
  21. chest — of your body
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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