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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: stick · squash · suit · swing · plane · patient · straw · bass

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bass — low music
  5. suit — clothes
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. swing — to play on
  11. suit — to fit
  12. plane — a tool
  13. squash — the sport
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. suit — in cards
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bass — the fish
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. squash — to crush
  24. plane — an aircraft

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