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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: drill · plane · mug · bat · stand · straw · dip · bulb

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bat — the animal
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bulb — for light
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mug — to rob
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mug — a face
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stand — to bear
  16. drill — a practice
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. plane — a tool

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