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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 · cue · wave · mine · season · key · land · patient

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. land — a country
  4. land — to come down
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cue — for pool
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bound — obliged
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bound — certain
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cue — a signal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cue — a hint
  22. key — in music
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. land — ground

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