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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: present · wave · bound · rash · wind · key · pop · stock

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pop — soda
  7. present — there
  8. rash — a series
  9. bound — certain
  10. stock — shares
  11. present — the time now
  12. wind — moving air
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stock — goods
  18. pop — music
  19. present — a gift
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wave — with your hand

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