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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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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — certain
  7. track — a path
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. land — ground
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mug — to rob
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. track — a song
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bound — obliged

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