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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 124 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wind — moving air
  3. saw — the tool
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fine — all right
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. chip — for betting
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — high quality
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fork — in a road
  21. kick — in football
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. kick — a thrill

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