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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 120 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. tube — a container
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ground — a position
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mine — for digging

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