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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: dip · shower · band · temple · scale · fine · bass · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fine — all right
  3. bass — low music
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. shower — to wash
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. scale — size or range
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fine — high quality
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. scale — in music
  17. band — a ring
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. dip — to sink
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. shower — rain

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