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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. object — to protest
  3. dip — to sink
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. net — after costs
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. object — an aim
  11. present — there
  12. bass — the fish
  13. object — a thing
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. plane — a tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. net — for catching
  18. bass — low music
  19. present — the time now
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. net — in sport
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. present — a gift

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