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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. bulb — for light
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. dip — to sink
  12. degree — temperature
  13. tube — a container
  14. object — an aim
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. object — to protest
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. object — a thing
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  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