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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · wave · spring · net · rock · key · land · fine

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. land — ground
  3. spring — the season
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rock — music
  6. net — after costs
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. spring — of water
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. land — to come down
  11. spring — a coil
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. net — for catching
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bound — obliged
  16. land — a country
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. net — in sport
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rock — a stone
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

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