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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 120 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wake — a trail

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