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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rash — hasty
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. craft — a skill
  7. last — final
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. last — to go on
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. track — a path
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. craft — boats
  22. rash — a series
  23. last — finally
  24. wax — to grow

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