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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. staff — employees
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bass — low music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rush — hurry
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bulb — for light
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. staff — employees
  13. scale — in music
  14. clip — a video
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. plane — a tool
  17. staff — a stick
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. scale — size or range
  24. clip — for paper

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