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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: bass · snap · wave · bulb · wound · club · plane · key

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. key — in music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. club — for golf
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. snap — to click
  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