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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 120 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: bound · sharp · tube · wave · suit · squash · lie · spring

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. sharp — clever
  3. suit — to fit
  4. lie — to recline
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bound — tied together
  8. squash — to crush
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. spring — the season
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bound — certain
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. spring — of water
  22. bound — obliged
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. spring — a coil

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