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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rush — hurry
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. club — for golf
  14. bat — the animal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. spring — of water
  17. club — a group
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — the season
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. club — for dancing

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