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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 · date · stand · rule · pound · bound · face

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bass — low music
  7. bound — certain
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rule — a law
  15. face — to confront
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stand — to bear
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rule — government

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