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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: bulb · mug · pass · dip · bear · fan · wake · trunk

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mug — a face
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bulb — for light
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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