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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: key · cue · shower · lie · kid · perch · wind · bulb

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. kid — child
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cue — for pool
  6. shower — rain
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wind — moving air
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wind — moving air
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bulb — for light
  17. key — in music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. lie — to recline
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cue — a signal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cue — a hint

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