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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: bulb · drill · rush · tube · swing · spring · hide · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bulb — for light
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. drill — the tool
  6. spring — of water
  7. dip — to sink
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. swing — in golf
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. tube — a container
  18. spring — a coil
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. spring — the season
  21. rush — hurry
  22. swing — music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tube — the underground

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