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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: field · bass · hand · craft · bore · plane · fall · temple

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. hand — in cards
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. fall — the season
  9. bore — to drill
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bore — to tire
  13. field — farmland
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. field — for sport
  19. hand — help
  20. field — a subject
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bass — the fish
  23. craft — a skill
  24. temple — a place of worship

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