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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: face · wound · bulb · jam · craft · bark · shower · stand

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. bulb — for light
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bark — to shout
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wound — an injury
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. shower — rain
  15. face — to point toward
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bulb — for light
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. craft — boats
  24. wound — an injury

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