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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · jam · plane · coach · bat · bass · date · straw

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bass — the fish
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. date — the fruit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bass — low music
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bat — the animal
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bass — the instrument

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