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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: nail · cold · bowl · bulb · cue · wind · roll · mouse

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. cold — not warm
  3. wind — moving air
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. roll — a list
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mouse — the animal

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