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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 · bear · staff · foot · fork · bulb · wind · coach

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bear — the animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. staff — employees
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wind — moving air
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. staff — employees
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fork — to eat with

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