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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fall — to drop
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fall — to drop
  9. dip — to sink
  10. root — the cause
  11. pop — music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fall — the season
  14. root — of a word
  15. firm — a company
  16. kick — in football
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. root — of a plant
  19. firm — steady
  20. pop — soda
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pop — to visit
  23. firm — decided
  24. kick — a thrill

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