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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 120 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: fan · arm · ruler · snap · bass · band · plane · hide

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — low music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. band — a ring
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. snap — to click
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. plane — a tool
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. band — a music group
  24. ruler — a monarch

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