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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 · deal · land · bound · lash · wave · staff

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bass — low music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bound — certain
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. staff — employees
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. staff — employees
  24. bound — obliged

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