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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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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 · mug · tear · mine · deal · hide · bulb · rush

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mug — a face
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mine — for digging
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rush — a thrill

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