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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 120 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: snap · plane · rock · lie · stand · drill · pound · bass

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rock — music
  3. snap — to click
  4. drill — a practice
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pound — a weight
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bass — low music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. drill — army training
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. lie — an untruth

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