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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 116 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wind — moving air
  8. club — a group
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. saw — the tool
  13. club — for golf
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wind — moving air
  16. club — for dancing
  17. mine — for digging
  18. perch — the fish
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cue — a signal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. cue — for pool
  24. perch — for a bird

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