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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. tube — a container
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spring — of water
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mug — a face
  14. spring — a coil
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mug — a cup
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. spring — the season
  24. dip — a sauce

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