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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: bass · wake · rock · bound · mate · rash · board · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bound — certain
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bass — low music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rash — a series
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wake — a trail
  19. board — to get on
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. board — a committee
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wake — before a funeral

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