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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tube — a container
  5. spring — the season
  6. kick — in football
  7. spring — a coil
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. spring — of water
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. perch — the fish
  20. tube — the underground
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. dip — a sauce

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