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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.

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: cue · bear · nail · wound · bulb · content · foot · object

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. object — a thing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. content — the amount
  18. object — an aim
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. object — to protest
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. nail — for a hammer

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