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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: plane · tear · wave · spring · pop · band · jam · firm

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. tear — from crying
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. spring — a coil
  12. firm — decided
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. pop — music
  17. tear — to rip
  18. plane — a tool
  19. firm — steady
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pop — soda
  24. firm — a company

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