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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: fine · bat · dip · chip · saw · fall · toast · bulb

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bulb — for light
  3. dip — to sink
  4. fall — to drop
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fall — the season
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fine — all right
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fine — high quality
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. toast — bread
  20. fall — to drop
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bulb — of a plant

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