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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: bear · cue · clip · board · chest · wave · drill · bulb

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. clip — a video
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cue — for pool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. drill — army training
  15. chest — a box
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bulb — for light
  21. board — to get on
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. clip — for paper
  24. board — a committee

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