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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. pop — soda
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bulb — for light
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. tube — a container
  10. snap — to click
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bank — for money
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bank — for money
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pop — music
  23. plane — a tool
  24. board — a flat piece

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