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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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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: wake · stand · rule · bulb · dip · kid · bear · present

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. present — the time now
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rule — government
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. present — there
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bulb — for light
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stand — to bear
  21. present — a gift
  22. rule — a law
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rule — to rule out

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