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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: wake · rush · bass · board · ruler · game · rash · hand

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hand — help
  5. wake — a trail
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rush — hurry
  8. board — a committee
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bass — low music
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. game — a match
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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