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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.

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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: bass · bank · firm · cold · jam · plane · shower · arm

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. firm — steady
  6. cold — not warm
  7. firm — a company
  8. bass — the fish
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bank — for money
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bass — low music
  13. firm — decided
  14. cold — an illness
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bank — for money
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bank — of a river
  24. shower — rain

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