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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.

Make a worksheet

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: snap · plane · bass · nail · chair · fan · jam · foot

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bass — low music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. fan — a supporter

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