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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.

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: cold · stick · can · bass · plane · bank · rash · lie

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bank — for money
  11. rash — a series
  12. bass — low music
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cold — not warm
  16. can — a tin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bank — for money
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — an illness
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rash — on the skin

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