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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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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 · ruler · straw · wind · mark · field · plane · swing

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. field — a subject
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. swing — to play on
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bass — low music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. field — farmland
  12. swing — in golf
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wind — moving air
  15. plane — a tool
  16. field — for sport
  17. bass — the fish
  18. swing — music
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mark — a trace
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wind — moving air

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