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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bass — low music
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. firm — a company
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. firm — steady
  9. bass — the fish
  10. firm — decided
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. band — a music group
  14. fork — in a road
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rash — a series
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wake — a trail
  23. plane — a tool
  24. band — a ring

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