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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.

Make a worksheet

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: foot · chest · lean · date · fork · plane · bass · can

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. lean — thin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fork — in a road
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. lean — to bend
  14. chest — a box
  15. bass — the fish
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bass — low music
  19. foot — a measure
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. date — the fruit
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. chest — of your body

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