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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: wound · staff · bulb · face · mark · key · fine · lean

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. lean — thin
  6. wound — an injury
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. face — to confront
  11. mark — a grade
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wound — an injury
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fine — all right
  16. staff — employees
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bulb — for light
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. staff — employees

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