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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. board — to get on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cue — for pool
  23. board — a committee
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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