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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 · wake · rush · chip · chair · bass · bulb · lash

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rush — hurry
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bound — tied together
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bound — obliged
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bound — certain
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wake — a trail

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