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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. snap — to click
  3. bore — to tire
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. spring — a coil
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cue — a hint
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. chip — for betting
  24. plane — an aircraft

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