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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. staff — employees
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. staff — a stick
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bulb — for light
  13. land — to come down
  14. staff — employees
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. season — of the year
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. season — in sport

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