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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. chip — for betting
  6. shower — rain
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. shower — to wash
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wake — a trail
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bound — certain
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wake — before a funeral

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