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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: can · fan · key · bear · wave · bass · roll · bore

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. key — the most important part
  4. roll — a cake
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bear — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. bass — low music
  10. roll — a list
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. key — in music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bore — to drill
  23. key — for a lock
  24. can — to be able to

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