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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 · deal · key · stand · row · bound · spell · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. row — a line
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bound — certain
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. spell — letters
  12. bound — obliged
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. spell — magic
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — to paddle
  22. spell — a short time
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rush — a thrill

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