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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: wave · capital · hand · deal · race · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bound — obliged
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. race — the arms race
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. race — a contest
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. race — humankind
  15. capital — a city
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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