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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. net — for catching
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. net — in sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lean — thin
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wake — a trail
  13. lean — to bend
  14. hand — help
  15. bulb — for light
  16. net — after costs
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rock — a stone
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. patient — a sick person

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