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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: pass · bass · board · wake · ruler · chest · bark · face

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. face — to confront
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. board — a committee
  13. bass — low music
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bass — the fish
  17. chest — a box
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. face — to point toward
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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