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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: last · key · lie · bulb · wound · wax · straw · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. last — finally
  4. bound — obliged
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. key — in music
  9. bound — certain
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wax — to grow
  17. last — final
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. last — to go on
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lie — to recline
  23. key — for a lock
  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