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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: dip · bulb · bark · wake · hide · pitch · nail · spring

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. spring — a coil
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bulb — of a plant

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