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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wound — an injury
  3. firm — decided
  4. key — the most important part
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. roll — a list
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bound — certain
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. net — after costs
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. net — in sport
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. key — in music
  24. net — for catching

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