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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 116 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fall — the season
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cue — for pool
  8. ground — a position
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mate — to breed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ground — crushed
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cue — a signal

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