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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: racket · straw · roll · plane · wound · object · bound · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bass — low music
  5. object — an aim
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. roll — a list
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bass — the fish
  13. roll — a cake
  14. wound — an injury
  15. object — to protest
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bound — certain
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. object — a thing
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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