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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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468
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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. foot — a measure
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bulb — for light
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. chest — of your body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cue — for pool
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. cue — a signal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chest — a box
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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