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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rush — hurry
  15. cold — not warm
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cue — a hint
  18. swing — in golf
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wake — a trail
  23. swing — music
  24. bulb — for light

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