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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fall — the season
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. foot — a measure
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rest — what's left
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. bass — low music
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wake — a trail
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lash — an eyelash

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