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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — a contest
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. object — to protest
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. object — an aim
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. race — the arms race
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. lie — to recline
  18. object — a thing
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. race — humankind

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