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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 · spell · wake · mug · rock · bulb · board · land

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. land — a country
  5. spell — letters
  6. land — to come down
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cue — for pool
  9. land — ground
  10. wake — a trail
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rock — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spell — magic
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. board — to get on
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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