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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. snap — to click
  4. object — a thing
  5. content — happy
  6. bulb — for light
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wind — moving air
  9. content — the amount
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fall — the season
  12. wind — moving air
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fall — to drop
  15. object — to protest
  16. bulb — for light
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. object — an aim
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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