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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: cue · stick · fan · hide · sharp · present · land · bulb

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. land — a country
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. land — ground
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cue — a hint
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cue — a signal
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. present — there
  19. present — a gift
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. present — the time now
  22. land — to come down
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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