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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · row · bass · tube · plane · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wind — moving air
  10. row — a line
  11. bass — the fish
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. tube — a container
  14. bass — low music
  15. tube — the underground
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. row — to paddle
  18. tube — in a tire

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