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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 · board · bound · rush · key · bass · rash · wake

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. key — in music
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rule — government
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. board — to get on
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rule — a law
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bass — low music
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rash — a series
  24. rush — to hurry

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