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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 120 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 · chest · mouse · plane · can · calf · shower · mark

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bass — low music
  3. shower — to wash
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bass — the fish
  12. shower — rain
  13. can — a tin
  14. chest — of your body
  15. can — a tin
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. chest — a box
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. can — to be able to

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