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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pit — in a race
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. field — a subject
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cue — a hint
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. lie — to recline
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cue — for pool
  24. safe — a strongbox

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