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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · key · ball · cue · bay · wake · plane · wind

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. plane — a tool
  13. key — in music
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bulb — for light
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. ball — a great time

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