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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · mate · wound · spell · can · leaves · key · fine

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. key — for a lock
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. can — a tin
  12. key — in music
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. can — a tin
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spell — letters

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