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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: hide · wind · staff · plane · cap · bark · bass · fall

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fall — the season
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. cap — a hat
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. staff — employees
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bark — to shout
  14. staff — employees
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cap — of ice

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