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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
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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: bound · foot · board · bass · snap · stick · lean · clip

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bass — the fish
  4. board — a committee
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. clip — for paper
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. snap — to click
  9. bound — certain
  10. clip — a video
  11. bound — obliged
  12. board — to get on
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bound — tied together
  15. lean — thin
  16. clip — to cut
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bass — low music

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