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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rest — what's left
  4. row — a line
  5. tube — a container
  6. board — a committee
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rest — a break
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cue — for pool
  13. row — to paddle
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. board — to get on
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bulb — for light
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cue — a signal
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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