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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. tube — a container
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. dip — to sink
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cell — a phone
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bulb — for light
  11. face — part of the head
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cell — in biology
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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