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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: key · hand · drill · mark · can · wake · kid · wave

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mark — a grade
  4. kid — to tease
  5. hand — help
  6. can — a tin
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. key — for a lock
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mark — a trace
  14. key — the most important part
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. drill — the tool
  21. kid — child
  22. hand — in cards
  23. key — in music
  24. hand — part of the body

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