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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: tube · dip · fan · bulb · snap · current · pound · cabinet

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. current — electric
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. current — happening now
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. snap — to click
  15. current — of water
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tube — a container
  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