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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chest — of your body
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bulb — for light
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. snap — to click
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bulb — for light
  13. file — a document
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chest — a box
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. tube — a container
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. chest — of your body

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