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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: pop · staff · file · wind · bass · mark · board · wave

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wind — moving air
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bass — low music
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. file — a tool
  10. pop — music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. staff — employees
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. staff — employees
  17. pop — soda
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bass — the fish
  20. staff — a stick
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. board — a committee

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