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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 116 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: firm · spring · key · fine · club · patient · wave · wake

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fine — all right
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. firm — decided
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. key — in music
  11. firm — steady
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fine — high quality
  15. club — for dancing
  16. firm — a company
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. club — for golf
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wake — a trail

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