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

Word bank: bulb · wind · foot · pass · drill · cue · chair · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. drill — the tool
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bulb — for light
  14. drill — a practice
  15. row — a line
  16. drill — army training
  17. wind — moving air
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pass — a permit
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. chair — a leader
  24. foot — part of the body

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