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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wind — moving air
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. face — to point toward
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. wind — moving air
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. face — to confront
  22. hand — help
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. saw — the tool

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