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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · board · wind · bay · bowl · bass · chest · bound

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. board — a committee
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. chest — of your body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bass — the fish
  13. chest — a box
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bass — low music
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. chest — of your body
  24. board — to get on

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