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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. key — the most important part
  4. tube — a container
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. band — a ring
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. prune — to trim
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. prune — to trim
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. tube — the underground
  20. band — a music group
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bulb — for light

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