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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
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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: tube · wake · bass · plane · pop · craft · cell · race

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. craft — boats
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bass — low music
  6. pop — soda
  7. race — the arms race
  8. tube — the underground
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pop — music
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — humankind
  16. wake — a trail
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cell — in biology
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cell — a phone
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cell — in a prison

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