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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · racket · roll · saw · straw · lie · bass · spell

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. roll — a list
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bass — low music
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bass — the fish
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spell — letters
  20. roll — a cake
  21. spell — magic
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lie — to recline
  24. racket — for tennis

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