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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: field · dip · mate · clip · rush · toast · hand · bulb

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. clip — for paper
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mate — to breed
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. field — for sport
  11. hand — help
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. clip — a video
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bulb — for light
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — bread

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