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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 120 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: ruler · dip · wave · kid · cue · press · bulb · mate

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. kid — child
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. press — to push
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mate — a partner
  12. press — a publisher
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. press — newspapers
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kid — to tease
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mate — to breed

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