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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 120 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 · bank · lie · straw · suit · bat · bulb · tube

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tube — a container
  8. bat — the animal
  9. suit — clothes
  10. dip — to sink
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bank — for money
  17. tube — the underground
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. straw — a straw man

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