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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: pop · wound · cabinet · stick · bulb · deal · cue · rash

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rash — a series
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rash — hasty
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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