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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: hand · pop · bulb · rule · cue · wake · craft · last

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. pop — soda
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rule — a law
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wake — a trail
  15. hand — help
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rule — government
  20. hand — in cards
  21. craft — boats
  22. last — final
  23. hand — part of the body
  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