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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · net · key · bear · tube · bound · wave · lash

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. firm — a company
  2. key — for a lock
  3. firm — decided
  4. net — for catching
  5. firm — steady
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bear — the animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. tube — the underground
  11. net — after costs
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. key — the most important part
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bound — certain
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. tube — a container
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bound — tied together
  23. key — in music
  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