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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for dancing
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. current — electric
  7. rock — music
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bass — the fish
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bass — low music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. current — of water
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. club — for golf
  19. rock — a stone
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. current — happening now

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