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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: fine · patient · can · bulb · wake · content · last · cue

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. fine — all right
  3. last — final
  4. content — happy
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. can — a tin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. last — to go on
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. can — a tin
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cue — a hint
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bulb — for light
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fine — high quality
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. last — finally
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wake — a trail

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