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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: bound · face · trunk · shower · bulb · suit · jam · field

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. field — for sport
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bound — certain
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bound — tied together
  9. field — farmland
  10. face — to point toward
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. suit — in cards
  17. shower — to wash
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bound — obliged
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. field — a subject
  22. suit — clothes
  23. shower — rain
  24. face — to confront

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