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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: bass · patient · rock · board · plane · clip · can · fine

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. rock — music
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fine — high quality
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. board — a committee
  8. rock — a stone
  9. plane — a tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fine — all right
  13. bass — low music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. board — to get on

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