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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.

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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: squash · object · bound · net · wave · pitcher · wake · nail

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. object — a thing
  3. bound — tied together
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bound — certain
  8. squash — the sport
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. object — to protest
  15. net — for catching
  16. object — an aim
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. nail — for a hammer

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