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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: cue · snap · kick · content · swing · mark · bulb · plane

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bulb — for light
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. swing — music
  7. snap — to click
  8. plane — a tool
  9. kick — in football
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. content — happy
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mark — a grade
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. content — the amount
  24. mark — to pay attention

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