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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: spring · fork · bulb · bay · hide · dip · can · cue

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. spring — of water
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. spring — the season
  9. bulb — for light
  10. dip — to sink
  11. can — a tin
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. can — a tin
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. can — to be able to
  24. hide — animal skin

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