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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wound — an injury
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wound — an injury
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cell — in biology
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mine — for digging
  14. tube — a container
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cell — a phone
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. tube — the underground
  24. dip — to sink

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