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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 · wake · pound · mug · lie · row · board · spring

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mug — a face
  4. board — to get on
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wake — a trail
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. row — a line
  11. board — a committee
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bass — low music
  14. row — to paddle
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. mug — to rob
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. spring — of water
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pound — a weight
  24. lie — an untruth

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