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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 120 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: straw · dip · bulb · bound · staff · tube · mug · drill

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bulb — for light
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bound — certain
  10. staff — employees
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mug — to rob
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. tube — a container
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bound — obliged
  17. staff — employees
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mug — a face
  24. dip — to sink

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