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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 116 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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. spring — the season
  5. staff — employees
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cue — a signal
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bear — the animal

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