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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. dip — to sink
  4. drill — the tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. bulb — for light
  10. net — for catching
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. net — after costs
  15. drill — army training
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cue — for pool
  18. land — a country
  19. net — in sport
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cabinet — ministers

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