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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
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: bass · lash · mate · tube · rule · land · plane · mouse

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. land — to come down
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. tube — a container
  12. mate — to breed
  13. land — a country
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rule — government
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. land — ground
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rule — a law

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