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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. key — the most important part
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. chair — a leader
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wake — a trail
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bulb — for light

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