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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. current — of water
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. spring — of water
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. spring — a coil
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. current — happening now
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. tube — a container
  16. branch — a division
  17. current — electric
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — a hole
  20. spring — the season
  21. pit — in a race
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bulb — for light

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