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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 · bulb · bay · cell · bear · mug · fine · lean

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cell — in biology
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mug — a face
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fine — all right
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cell — in a prison

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