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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · kick · hide · bulb · pop · chip · craft · spring

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cue — for pool
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pop — music
  6. chip — for betting
  7. craft — a skill
  8. chip — to eat
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pop — to visit
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pop — soda
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. spring — of water
  20. kick — in football
  21. spring — a coil
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bulb — for light
  24. spring — the season

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