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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bulb — for light
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cold — not warm
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cell — in biology
  21. root — of a word
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cold — the Cold War

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