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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: wound · cue · bulb · rule · mark · fall · plane · perch

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bulb — for light
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rule — government
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fall — the season
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mark — a trace
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rule — a law
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fall — to drop
  19. perch — the fish
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fall — to drop

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