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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: bass · key · wake · stand · bore · roll · present · last

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wake — a trail
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. last — to go on
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. present — the time now
  8. bore — to drill
  9. present — a gift
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bore — to tire
  14. last — final
  15. bass — the fish
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bass — low music
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. key — in music
  21. last — finally
  22. present — there
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bass — the instrument

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