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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 · key · toast · straw · leaves · game · wave · bank

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bank — of a river
  3. toast — bread
  4. key — for a lock
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bank — for money
  17. wake — a trail
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. game — a match
  20. bank — for money
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. game — wild animals
  23. key — the most important part
  24. game — a kind of play

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