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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: bound · bass · hand · content · jam · bulb · wax · bay

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hand — help
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bound — tied together
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bound — certain
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bound — obliged

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