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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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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: wake · pass · file · trunk · bound · key · saw · nail

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bound — certain
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bound — tied together
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. file — a tool
  11. key — for a lock
  12. file — a document
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bound — obliged
  16. file — a line of people
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. key — in music
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pass — a permit

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