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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ground — crushed
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wake — a trail
  10. foot — a measure
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. cue — a signal
  24. can — to be able to

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