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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 · cell · wind · bowl · plane · rush · calf · ball

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. cell — in biology
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wind — moving air
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. calf — a young animal

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