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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 116 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. track — a path
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — thin
  17. plane — a tool
  18. lean — to bend
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. track — a song
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bulb — of a plant

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