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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 120 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: fall · plane · cue · fan · craft · bass · board · wound

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. board — a committee
  3. fall — to drop
  4. craft — boats
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. fall — the season
  10. board — to get on
  11. bass — the fish
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wound — an injury
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bass — low music
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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