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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: last · wake · board · jam · bass · lean · leaves · key

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lean — thin
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bass — low music
  6. last — finally
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. key — for a lock
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bass — the fish
  12. board — to get on
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. board — a committee
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. key — the most important part
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. key — in music
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bass — the instrument

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