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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: dip · wound · hide · cap · prune · spell · bulb · tube

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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. cap — of ice
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. dip — to sink
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spell — magic
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. tube — the underground
  13. spell — letters
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. tube — a container
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cap — a hat
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bulb — for light
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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