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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: wave · bass · lean · swing · bound · bore · land · spell

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bound — certain
  3. lean — thin
  4. swing — music
  5. land — a country
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. spell — letters
  16. land — to come down
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. land — ground
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lean — to rest against

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