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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 120 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: plane · bass · ruler · stock · chest · deal · wave · last

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stock — shares
  5. last — final
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. last — finally
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stock — goods
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. last — to go on
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bass — low music
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. chest — a box
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wave — of the sea

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