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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: bound · nail · club · dip · lean · key · bass · bear

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bound — certain
  3. key — in music
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. bound — obliged
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bound — tied together
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. key — for a lock
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lean — to bend

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