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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 · arm · cap · bore · clip · fork · tube · bass

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bass — low music
  3. clip — to cut
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cap — a hat
  6. clip — a video
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. tube — a container
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bass — the fish
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bore — to drill
  24. clip — for paper

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