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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: stand · bass · foot · plane · pop · ruler · shower · wind

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bass — low music
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stand — to bear
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wind — moving air
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. bass — the fish
  13. shower — to wash
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pop — to visit
  18. shower — rain
  19. plane — a tool
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. foot — part of the body

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