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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · toast · board · hand · bass · fall · field · rock

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rock — music
  5. fall — the season
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fall — to drop
  11. toast — bread
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. field — a subject
  14. rock — a stone
  15. board — to get on
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bass — the fish
  19. board — a committee
  20. hand — help
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — for sport
  24. fall — to drop

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