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

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. plane — a tool
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bass — the fish
  8. hand — in cards
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. hand — help
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. land — ground
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bass — low music
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. jam — a tight spot

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