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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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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: firm · key · toast · band · wave · wake · wound · bear

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bear — the animal
  5. firm — a company
  6. key — in music
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. band — a music group
  9. wake — a trail
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. firm — decided
  19. bear — the animal
  20. firm — steady
  21. band — a ring
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. key — the most important part

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