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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 116 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: bass · leaves · bound · cue · hand · sharp · plane · rule

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bound — certain
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rule — government
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rule — a law
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cue — a signal
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. hand — help
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bound — tied together
  20. cue — a hint
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rule — to rule out

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