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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: bound · saw · content · bore · bass · lean · wave · nail

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. content — the amount
  2. bass — the fish
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bore — to drill
  12. content — happy
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bound — certain
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lean — thin
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wave — of the sea
  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