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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cabinet · leaves

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bass — low music
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wind — moving air
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. plane — a tool
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. row — to paddle
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bass — the fish
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. tube — a container
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. plane — in geometry

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