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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. staff — employees
  4. cue — for pool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cue — a signal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. staff — a stick
  9. dip — to sink
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. clip — to cut
  15. staff — employees
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. clip — a video
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bulb — of a plant

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