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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: dip · wake · bowl · bay · pop · bound · rash · bulb

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — music
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bound — certain
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pop — soda
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rash — a series

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