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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. current — of water
  12. band — a ring
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. current — happening now
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wax — to grow
  17. current — electric
  18. bass — low music
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. dip — to sink
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wax — for sculpting

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