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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: ground · wave · craft · bass · mouse · chest · swing · plane

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bass — low music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bass — the fish
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ground — a position
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ground — crushed
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ground — the earth
  20. craft — boats
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. swing — music
  24. chest — a box

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