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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: bound · last · bass · fine · wave · nail · tear · cell

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. last — finally
  4. cell — a phone
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. last — final
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bound — obliged
  9. last — to go on
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bound — certain
  15. bass — low music
  16. fine — high quality
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cell — in biology
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fine — all right

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