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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: mine · cue · band · plane · bore · wound · fan · bass

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. band — a ring
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bore — to drill
  16. band — a music group
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cue — for pool
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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