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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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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 · lash · pound · board · chip · snap · bass · chair

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. board — to get on
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. snap — to click
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bass — low music
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bass — the fish
  18. board — a committee
  19. pound — a weight
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chair — a leader

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