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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: mate · pass · snap · cabinet · trunk · wind · jam · bulb

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. wind — moving air
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mate — a partner
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. snap — to click
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bulb — for light
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pass — a permit
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — to breed
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mate — a friend
  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