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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.

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: lie · bass · clip · current · plane · mug · chip · spring

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. spring — of water
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. lie — to recline
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. spring — a coil
  8. clip — to cut
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. spring — the season
  12. clip — a video
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. current — of water
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. clip — for paper
  19. mug — a face
  20. plane — a tool
  21. chip — to eat
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. bass — the fish

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