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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bank — for money
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tube — a container
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rule — a law
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bank — of a river
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bank — for money
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mouse — for a computer

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