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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: bulb · chest · spring · tear · ruler · jam · arm · suit

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. chest — a box
  8. spring — the season
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chest — of your body
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tear — to rip
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. tear — from crying
  20. suit — in cards
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tear — from crying
  24. suit — to fit

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