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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · wave · bear · bass · court · pop · pass · plane

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. court — of law
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — for sport
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pop — music
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pop — soda

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