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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: saw · wave · bank · key · cold · wake · pass · bulb

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. key — for a lock
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wake — a trail
  10. key — in music
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bank — of a river
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. pass — a permit
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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