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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: plane · mug · sharp · spring · root · bulb · dip · rule

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. spring — of water
  5. root — of a plant
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rule — a law
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. spring — the season
  15. dip — to sink
  16. root — of a word
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mug — a cup
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rule — government

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