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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: jam · stand · band · lie · wave · snap · file · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. band — a ring
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. file — a document
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. band — a music group
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stand — to bear
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. snap — to click
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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