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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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Word bank
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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: fan · spring · bulb · lie · chest · sharp · deal · dip

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. chest — of your body
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. chest — of your body
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. spring — of water
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. dip — to sink
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spring — the season

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