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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: wind · cue · nail · foot · bat · bulb · hand · bear

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cue — a signal
  11. foot — a measure
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bulb — of a plant

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