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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: mark · mate · march · cell · track · wave · patient · bulb

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. cell — a phone
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. track — a path
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mark — a grade
  9. march — the month
  10. cell — in biology
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mate — to breed
  13. march — music
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. march — the month
  21. track — a song
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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