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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — a tool
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bass — low music
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. march — the month
  11. swing — to play on
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. current — electric
  15. swing — music
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. march — music
  19. tube — a container
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. march — the month
  24. bass — the fish

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