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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. march — the month
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mark — a trace
  6. march — the month
  7. mark — a grade
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mug — a face
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wound — an injury
  23. march — music
  24. wake — a trail

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