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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: plane · spell · cap · firm · cold · bass · dip · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. spell — letters
  4. bass — the fish
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. spell — magic
  9. cap — a lid
  10. firm — a company
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cold — not warm
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rash — hasty
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cold — an illness
  17. dip — to sink
  18. firm — decided
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bass — low music
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. plane — a tool
  24. firm — steady

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