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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mate — a friend
  7. shower — rain
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. shower — to wash
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mate — a partner
  16. clip — a video
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. clip — for paper

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