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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. band — a music group
  11. bulb — for light
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. key — in music
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cell — a phone
  19. band — a ring
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mug — a face
  24. cell — in a prison

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