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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 120 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: rush · mine · hide · bass · stock · leaves · mug · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mine — for digging
  3. board — a committee
  4. rush — hurry
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mug — a face
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. board — to get on
  12. bass — low music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stock — goods
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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