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

Word bank: wake · bound · board · mate · cap · last · nail · jam

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. board — to get on
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wake — a trail
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. board — a committee
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. last — finally
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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