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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 120 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: swing · bound · foot · nail · wake · wave · saw · bass

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. swing — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bass — low music
  9. bound — obliged
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bound — certain
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. saw — the tool
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wake — a trail
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bound — tied together
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. swing — in golf
  24. nail — on a finger

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