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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: mouse · row · hide · kick · march · safe · cue · bulb

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cue — a signal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. march — the month
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. row — a line
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cue — a hint
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. row — to paddle
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bulb — for light

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