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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cue — for pool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bulb — for light
  12. file — a tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. roll — a list
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. sharp — clever
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. file — a document
  22. shower — rain
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. sharp — exactly

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