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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: current · cold · lean · safe · bass · plane · swing · lash

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bass — low music
  3. cold — not warm
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. current — electric
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. swing — in golf
  9. plane — a tool
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cold — an illness
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. swing — to play on
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. current — of water
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. current — happening now
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. lean — thin

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