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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bass — low music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. row — a line
  9. bulb — for light
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. face — part of the head
  12. row — to paddle
  13. plane — a tool
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. board — a committee
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. face — to confront
  18. board — to get on
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bound — certain
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bass — the fish

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