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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 · rush · dip · roll · bore · bay · bass · kick

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bore — to tire
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bass — the fish
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. kick — in football
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bore — to drill
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bass — low music
  14. roll — a list
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. roll — a cake
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. plane — a tool
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rush — hurry

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