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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: wound · key · last · lean · foot · mug · wave · rest

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mug — a cup
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rest — what's left
  8. key — in music
  9. last — final
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. key — for a lock
  14. last — finally
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rest — what's left
  20. last — to go on
  21. rest — a break
  22. mug — to rob
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. wound — an injury

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