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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. board — a committee
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bass — low music
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bass — the fish
  10. board — to get on
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. lean — thin
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

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