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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 the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bass — low music
  5. present — a gift
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. last — finally
  10. rock — music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. plane — a tool
  13. swing — music
  14. present — there
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. present — the time now
  19. last — to go on
  20. rock — a stone
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fall — to drop
  24. last — final

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