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

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mate — a partner
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bank — for money
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. drill — army training
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mate — a friend
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bowl — a football final

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