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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: wound · bass · board · wave · jam · press · spell · root

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. board — to get on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. spell — letters
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bass — the fish
  7. root — of a plant
  8. press — to push
  9. bass — low music
  10. board — a committee
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. spell — magic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. root — the cause
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. root — of a word
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spell — a short time

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