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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. net — for catching
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wound — an injury
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bulb — for light
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bulb — for light

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