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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 116 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: cabinet · track · bulb · rest · mate · swing · mark · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mate — a friend
  5. track — a song
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mate — a partner
  12. swing — music
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. swing — in golf
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mark — a grade
  19. track — a path
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rest — a break
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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