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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: mark · stick · key · bound · wave · bulb · fan · bat

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mark — a trace
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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