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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: race · bound · hide · drill · dip · leaves · bulb · staff

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bound — tied together
  3. race — humankind
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. staff — employees
  8. drill — the tool
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. drill — a practice
  11. race — a contest
  12. drill — army training
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bulb — for light
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bound — certain
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. race — the arms race
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bound — obliged
  22. dip — to sink
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. staff — employees

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