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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 retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. key — for a lock
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rash — a series
  11. key — in music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. stand — to bear

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