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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: key · bore · bowl · bound · roll · trunk · wind · wave

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wind — moving air
  9. key — in music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — a list
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bound — certain
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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