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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.

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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: track · cold · wave · key · suit · kick · wound · firm

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. key — for a lock
  5. kick — in football
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. suit — clothes
  9. track — a path
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. track — a song
  12. firm — decided
  13. key — in music
  14. suit — to fit
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cold — not warm
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cold — an illness
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. key — the most important part

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