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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.

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: kick · rush · plane · bass · straw · game · season · ruler

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. kick — in football
  11. bass — the fish
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. season — of the year
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. game — wild animals
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. season — in sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. game — a match

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