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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mate — to breed
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mate — a partner
  14. face — to point toward
  15. dip — to sink
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tube — the underground
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. tube — a container
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mate — a friend
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. face — to confront
  24. tube — in a tire

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