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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cue — a hint
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. board — to get on
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. kid — to tease
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. kid — child
  20. mine — for digging
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wax — to grow
  24. chest — a box

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