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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: chest · board · mate · bass · rush · bulb · firm · bear

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bass — low music
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mate — a partner
  9. board — to get on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mate — a friend
  15. firm — decided
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bass — the fish
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. board — a committee
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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