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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: bulb · kick · bay · tear · mine · spring · key · cue

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. key — in music
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. tear — to rip
  11. kick — in football
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mine — for digging
  14. spring — the season
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cue — for pool
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. spring — of water
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cue — a hint
  24. kick — a thrill

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