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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: march · lie · bound · toast · last · key · swing · wave

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. 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. march — music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. lie — to recline
  4. key — the most important part
  5. march — the month
  6. bound — certain
  7. key — in music
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. last — to go on
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. toast — bread
  13. last — finally
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. bound — tied together
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. last — final
  24. 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