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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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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 · bound · toast · nail · bulb · tear · face · last

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. last — finally
  3. tear — from crying
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. face — part of the head
  7. last — final
  8. bound — certain
  9. last — to go on
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wake — a trail
  14. face — to confront
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. face — to point toward
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bulb — for light
  21. toast — bread
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bulb — for light

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