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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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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: spring · swing · jam · bass · plane · roll · bound · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bass — low music
  6. spring — of water
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. swing — music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. swing — to play on
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bound — certain
  13. spring — the season
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bass — the fish
  18. roll — a list
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bound — tied together

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