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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mug — a cup
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mug — a face
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pop — music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bat — the animal
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pop — soda
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. key — in music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. key — the most important part

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