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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: leaves · firm · game · track · wave · bass · bore · hand

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. track — a song
  5. hand — in cards
  6. firm — decided
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. hand — help
  12. bore — to drill
  13. game — wild animals
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. track — a path
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. firm — steady
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. track — to keep track

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