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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bank — for money
  3. land — a country
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. land — to come down
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bass — the fish
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bass — low music
  10. bank — for money
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. snap — to click
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. land — ground
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bank — of a river

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