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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. sharp — clever
  5. season — of the year
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. net — after costs
  14. bear — the animal
  15. season — in sport
  16. bear — the animal
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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