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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: patient · band · bulb · race · season · bass · staff · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. race — the arms race
  3. staff — employees
  4. season — in sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. race — a contest
  7. bass — low music
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bass — the fish
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. staff — employees
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. staff — a stick
  16. band — a music group
  17. race — humankind
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. season — of the year
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bulb — for light
  23. band — a ring
  24. bulb — for light

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