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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. last — final
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bulb — for light
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. last — finally
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. last — to go on
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rest — a break
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitch — completely

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