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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. kid — child
  5. cue — a signal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. kid — to tease
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. swing — music
  12. wake — a trail
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bulb — for light
  15. plane — a tool
  16. swing — in golf
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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