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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 120 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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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: bulb · dip · stand · race · cabinet · content · perch · lash

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. content — happy
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stand — to bear
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. race — a contest
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bulb — for light
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. perch — the fish
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. content — the amount
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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