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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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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: arm · charge · band · bass · hide · spring · plane · swing

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. charge — electricity
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. charge — in control
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. spring — the season
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. band — a ring
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. charge — a price
  18. band — a music group
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bass — low music
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. swing — music
  23. spring — of water
  24. plane — a tool

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