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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: tube · lie · bulb · fork · foot · dip · wake · rush

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. tube — a container
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rush — hurry
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fork — in a road
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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