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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 · plane · patient · chip · toast · rush · chest · staff

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. staff — a stick
  3. chest — a box
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bass — low music
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. toast — bread
  10. staff — employees
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. chip — for betting
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bass — the fish
  20. staff — employees
  21. rush — hurry
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. plane — an aircraft

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