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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 116 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: rock · fine · plane · bass · rush · pit · march · lean

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bass — low music
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fine — all right
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rock — music
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. march — the month

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