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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fork — in a road
  3. spring — of water
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cue — for pool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fall — the season
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fall — to drop
  21. spring — the season
  22. snap — to click
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. spring — a coil

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