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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cue — a signal
  3. net — after costs
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. file — a document
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. object — to protest
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kid — to tease
  12. file — a tool
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. kid — child
  24. bay — a horse colour

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