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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: dip · lean · tube · lash · field · march · bulb · saw

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. lean — to rest against
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lean — to bend
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. tube — a container
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. field — a subject
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. saw — the tool
  18. march — the month
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. march — the month
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lean — thin
  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