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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: stick · cell · wake · mug · season · bulb · ruler · snap

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mug — a cup
  9. cell — in biology
  10. mug — to rob
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mug — a face
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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