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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.

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: key · nail · court · bound · wind · drill · game · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bound — obliged
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. game — a match
  7. court — for sport
  8. key — in music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. court — of a king
  17. key — the most important part
  18. drill — army training
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. drill — a practice
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. court — of law
  24. game — wild animals

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