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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 116 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: fine · swing · shower · object · current · lash · bass · plane

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bass — low music
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. current — happening now
  10. swing — music
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. object — a thing
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bass — the fish
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. swing — to play on
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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