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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: leaves · scale · bass · plane · wind · rock · bulb · kid

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bass — the fish
  4. scale — in music
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wind — moving air
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. plane — a tool
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — low music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rock — music
  24. scale — size or range

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