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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 116 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: fine · clip · shower · plane · bass · stand · rock · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rock — music
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. clip — for paper
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fine — high quality
  10. clip — to cut
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. shower — to wash
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bass — low music
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fine — all right
  19. plane — a tool
  20. clip — a video
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bore — to drill
  23. shower — rain
  24. stand — to bear

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