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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: straw · bass · march · wave · plane · pop · foot · tear

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. march — the month
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pop — to visit
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. march — music
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pop — soda
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bass — low music
  16. tear — from crying
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. march — the month
  21. pop — music
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. tear — to rip
  24. foot — a measure

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