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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bulb — for light
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bat — the animal
  20. dip — to sink
  21. stand — to bear
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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