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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: wake · spell · bound · wave · leaves · drill · row · stock

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. drill — the tool
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. spell — magic
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bound — certain
  13. drill — a practice
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stock — shares
  16. spell — letters
  17. row — a line
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stock — goods
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bound — tied together

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