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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.

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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: wake · rash · can · fork · calf · plane · bass · bulb

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. can — a tin
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. plane — a tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. wake — a trail
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rash — a series
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rash — on the skin

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