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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · calf · mark · snap · dip · tube · bulb · squash

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. tube — a container
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bulb — for light
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. kid — child
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. kid — to tease
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bulb — for light
  17. squash — the sport
  18. snap — to click
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mark — a trace
  22. tube — the underground
  23. calf — a young animal
  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