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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. saw — the tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bass — the fish
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. bass — low music

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