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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: kick · band · ruler · plane · mug · bear · net · bass

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. band — a ring
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. kick — in football
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mug — a cup
  10. net — for catching
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — low music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. net — after costs
  16. mug — to rob
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. band — a music group
  19. net — in sport
  20. bass — the fish
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bear — to put up with

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