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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: spring · wake · chair · last · bulb · cue · bowl · ruler

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wake — a trail
  3. last — to go on
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. last — finally
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. last — final
  17. chair — a leader
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. spring — the season
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ruler — for measuring

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