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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wake — a trail
  6. land — to come down
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. land — a country
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. land — ground
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bulb — for light
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bore — to tire

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