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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 116 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 · spring · band · fall · hide · dip · current · present

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. present — the time now
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. present — a gift
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fall — to drop
  9. present — there
  10. current — happening now
  11. fall — to drop
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spring — the season
  15. band — a music group
  16. current — electric
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. dip — to sink
  19. spring — of water
  20. bulb — for light
  21. band — a ring
  22. spring — a coil
  23. fall — the season
  24. current — of water

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