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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · tube · stick · row · bulb · temple · bass · stand

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bass — low music
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. tube — the underground
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bass — the fish
  12. dip — to sink
  13. stand — to bear
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tube — a container
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bulb — for light
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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