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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fine — high quality
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cold — an illness
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cold — not warm
  18. fine — all right
  19. bass — the fish
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rest — a break
  24. leaves — lets stay

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