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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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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: wake · game · fork · clip · hide · pit · bulb · cue

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. clip — a video
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wake — a trail
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. game — wild animals
  16. clip — for paper
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. clip — to cut
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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