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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. roll — a list
  3. cue — a signal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — the season
  10. chest — a box
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cue — for pool
  23. roll — a cake
  24. ball — a dance

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