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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. swing — in golf
  6. spring — of water
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. spring — the season
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bass — low music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. swing — to play on
  20. spring — a coil
  21. plane — a tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. swing — music
  24. rush — a thrill

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