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

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. kid — to tease
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. capital — money
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pop — music
  12. chest — of your body
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. chest — a box
  15. pop — to visit
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pop — soda
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. capital — a city
  22. kid — child
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bulb — for light

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