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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rest — a break
  5. cold — not warm
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rest — what's left
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bulb — for light
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pop — soda
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. pop — music
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cold — an illness
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cue — a signal

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