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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wound — an injury
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cue — for pool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bear — the animal
  24. shower — rain

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