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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. kid — child
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. spell — magic
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fall — the season
  12. cue — a signal
  13. spell — letters
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cue — for pool
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bulb — for light

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