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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cue — a signal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. kick — in football
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. foot — a measure
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. capital — money
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. capital — a city
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cue — for pool
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pound — to hit hard

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