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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. present — there
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — for light
  6. tube — the underground
  7. swing — to play on
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. present — a gift
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chest — of your body
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. present — the time now
  17. chest — of your body
  18. swing — music
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. swing — in golf
  21. chest — a box
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. tube — a container

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