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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. staff — employees
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. staff — employees
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. row — a line
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. staff — a stick
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wound — an injury
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. row — to paddle
  23. plane — a tool
  24. nail — on a finger

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