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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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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: bowl · face · cue · chest · wound · nail · mate · bulb

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cue — a signal
  3. chest — a box
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mate — a partner
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mate — to breed
  18. face — part of the head
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bowl — a dish

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