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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: ruler · trunk · wave · cell · bass · plane · leaves · rock

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cell — a phone
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rock — music
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bass — low music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cell — in biology
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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