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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: bass · dip · bear · fan · row · leaves · vault · plane

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. bass — low music
  2. row — a line
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. plane — a tool
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. dip — to sink
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bass — the fish
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bear — the animal
  19. vault — a safe
  20. row — to paddle
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bear — the animal
  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