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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: pound · wind · key · plane · suit · fall · bass · object

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fall — to drop
  6. object — an aim
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. object — a thing
  9. fall — the season
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wind — moving air
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wind — moving air
  16. object — to protest
  17. bass — low music
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. key — in music
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. suit — to fit

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