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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.

Words on the sheet
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: bulb · dip · bore · cap · stick · chest · trunk · spell

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spell — letters
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bore — to tire
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. spell — magic
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chest — of your body
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. chest — a box
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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