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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: wave · key · fall · bay · charge · board · wound · swing

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fall — the season
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. swing — music
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. key — in music
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fall — to drop
  13. charge — in control
  14. wound — an injury
  15. board — a committee
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. board — to get on
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fall — to drop
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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