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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 · wave · bark · mouse · rock · last · board · mine

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. board — a committee
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rock — music
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. last — final
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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