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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. face — to confront
  6. fall — the season
  7. face — to point toward
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bulb — for light
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bulb — for light
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fall — to drop

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