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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. snap — to click
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bulb — for light
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bulb — for light
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. cue — for pool

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