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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 120 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: bulb · dip · mine · snap · calf · tear · club · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. tear — from crying
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bulb — for light
  11. tear — to rip
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. club — a group
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mine — for digging
  20. club — for golf
  21. bulb — for light
  22. dip — to sink
  23. snap — to click
  24. deal — a big deal

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