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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: wax · bound · coach · mark · jam · bulb · last · key

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bulb — for light
  4. key — the most important part
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — for a lock
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bound — tied together
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. bound — certain
  14. wax — to grow
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bound — obliged
  21. key — in music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mark — a trace

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