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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: fan · rule · vault · band · lash · bass · squash · plane

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. band — a ring
  4. rule — a law
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. squash — to crush
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. band — a music group
  15. bass — low music
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bass — the fish
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rule — government
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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