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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. shower — rain
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. suit — to fit
  12. chip — for betting
  13. sharp — clever
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wound — an injury
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. shower — to wash
  21. cue — a signal
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. kick — in football
  24. wound — an injury

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