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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bulb — for light
  11. key — in music
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. dip — to sink
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pass — to succeed

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