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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wax · patient · clip · mark · cell · key · court · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — to cut
  9. mark — a grade
  10. court — of a king
  11. cell — a phone
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bulb — for light
  14. court — for sport
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. clip — for paper
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. key — in music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. court — of law
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bulb — for light
  24. key — the most important part

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