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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cell — a phone
  7. field — farmland
  8. present — there
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cell — in biology
  13. field — for sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rush — hurry
  18. present — a gift
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. present — the time now
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. field — a subject

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