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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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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: bay · stick · bulb · pitch · fall · wax · rest · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fall — the season
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — a break

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