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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bound — obliged
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bound — tied together
  6. spring — of water
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. key — in music
  9. spring — the season
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. last — finally
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. last — final
  14. spring — a coil
  15. content — happy
  16. last — to go on
  17. branch — a division
  18. content — the amount
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bound — certain
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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