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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bound — tied together
  10. march — music
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mate — a friend
  15. march — the month
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cue — a hint
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bound — certain
  24. bear — the animal

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