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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. key — the most important part
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. drill — a practice
  11. ground — a position
  12. saw — the tool
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. bass — low music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. key — in music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ground — the earth
  21. drill — army training
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. key — for a lock
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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