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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · season · bass · rock · wound · calf · tear · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rock — music
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rule — a law
  6. wound — an injury
  7. tear — from crying
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. season — of the year
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. tear — from crying
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. season — in sport
  22. rule — government
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. tear — to rip

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