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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: plane · stick · jam · wind · spring · cabinet · bass · pop

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pop — music
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bass — low music
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spring — the season
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pop — soda
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wind — moving air
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. spring — of water

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