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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: roll · object · bass · arm · plane · bound · wound · file

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bound — tied together
  3. object — an aim
  4. bass — low music
  5. object — a thing
  6. wound — an injury
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. object — to protest
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. file — a line of people
  14. plane — a tool
  15. roll — a cake
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bound — certain
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bound — obliged

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