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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. lean — to bend
  5. band — a ring
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. band — a music group
  12. capital — money
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. lean — thin
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. capital — a city
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bulb — for light

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