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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · bulb · cell · bark · sharp · wax · plane · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cue — a hint

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