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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: bulb · foot · spell · key · pop · tear · cue · tube

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. key — in music
  3. pop — soda
  4. key — for a lock
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cue — for pool
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bulb — for light
  11. key — the most important part
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — a short time
  21. foot — a measure
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. cue — a hint

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