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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. key — the most important part
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. craft — boats
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bulb — for light
  13. last — finally
  14. craft — a skill
  15. key — in music
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cue — for pool
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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