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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bore — to drill
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cue — a hint
  21. suit — in cards
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bowl — a football final

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