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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. cue — for pool
  3. content — the amount
  4. bulb — for light
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. suit — in cards
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bulb — for light
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. hand — in cards
  16. content — happy
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. row — to paddle
  23. hand — help
  24. leaves — to go away

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