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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cell — in biology
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bank — of a river
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bank — for money
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. ground — a position
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bank — for money
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. chair — a leader
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. cell — a phone
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bulb — for light
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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