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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.

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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 · foot · bass · season · chest · wake · jam · roll

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wake — a trail
  3. season — of the year
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. roll — a cake
  9. plane — a tool
  10. chest — a box
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bass — the fish
  13. chest — of your body
  14. roll — a list
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. chest — of your body
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. season — in sport
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bass — low music

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