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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. game — a match
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. rest — what's left
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cue — a hint
  10. game — wild animals
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wax — to grow
  13. snap — to click
  14. rest — a break
  15. cue — a signal
  16. spring — the season
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. spring — a coil
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. spring — of water
  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