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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 116 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hand — help
  3. rest — a break
  4. hand — in cards
  5. key — for a lock
  6. band — a ring
  7. rest — what's left
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. sharp — clever
  10. key — in music
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. band — a music group
  16. key — the most important part
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rest — what's left
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. craft — boats
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. craft — a skill
  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