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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bound — certain
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fall — the season
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bound — tied together
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cue — for pool
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bulb — for light
  24. sharp — with an edge

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