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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bulb — for light
  3. net — for catching
  4. ground — a position
  5. mark — a grade
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. ground — crushed
  8. snap — to click
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bulb — for light
  15. face — to confront
  16. bound — certain
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. net — in sport
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mark — a trace
  21. net — after costs
  22. bound — obliged
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — part of the head

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