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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 116 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rule — government
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rule — a law
  13. cue — a signal
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. root — of a word
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rule — to rule out

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