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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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 fish
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mark — a grade
  7. swing — in golf
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bass — low music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. net — in sport
  20. swing — music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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