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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: rule · chair · bass · leaves · fork · mouse · mate · wave

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rule — a law
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mate — a friend
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rule — government
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bass — low music
  24. chair — a professorship

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