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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: plane · band · bass · dip · straw · cue · chair · rest

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. band — a music group
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rest — what's left
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cue — a signal
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bass — low music
  11. band — a ring
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rest — a break
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. dip — to sink
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cue — a hint
  24. straw — a straw man

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