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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. spring — of water
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. cue — a hint
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. spring — the season
  15. cue — for pool
  16. present — a gift
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rock — a stone

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