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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 120 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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. bass — low music
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. land — a country
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lean — thin
  11. land — to come down
  12. plane — a tool
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. land — ground
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lean — to bend
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bass — the fish
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  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