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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.

Words on the sheet
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: bass · court · pass · kid · spring · plane · lean · prune

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. court — for sport
  3. plane — a tool
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bass — the fish
  7. prune — to trim
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pass — a permit
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. spring — of water
  13. kid — child
  14. court — of a king
  15. spring — the season
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. court — of law
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bass — low music

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