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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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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: ground · bulb · lie · stick · dip · rock · snap · scale

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ground — crushed
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ground — the earth
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. scale — size or range
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. ground — a position
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — to sink
  22. scale — in music
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rock — music

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