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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: bulb · dip · object · pop · deal · hand · key · chest

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pop — to visit
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. chest — a box
  6. key — in music
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. deal — to handle
  12. key — the most important part
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. pop — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — soda
  18. dip — to sink
  19. object — an aim
  20. chest — of your body
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bulb — for light

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