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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · key · bear · last · lean · wave · stem · season

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. key — in music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. last — to go on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. lean — thin
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. last — finally
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stem — to come from
  22. season — in sport
  23. last — final
  24. bear — to put up with

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