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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: cue · kid · bulb · spring · lie · fine · plane · game

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. kid — child
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spring — the season
  15. lie — to recline
  16. spring — a coil
  17. fine — all right
  18. cue — for pool
  19. game — a match
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spring — of water
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fine — high quality
  24. kid — to tease

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