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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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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. lean — thin
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pass — a permit
  6. swing — music
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. swing — to play on
  12. band — a music group
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. swing — in golf
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. band — a ring
  23. bass — low music
  24. calf — a young animal

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