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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 120 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: plane · wound · bass · object · fine · firm · land · ball

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fine — high quality
  3. firm — steady
  4. object — an aim
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. land — a country
  7. fine — all right
  8. wound — an injury
  9. plane — a tool
  10. ball — a dance
  11. firm — decided
  12. bass — the fish
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. land — to come down
  17. object — to protest
  18. land — ground
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. object — a thing
  22. firm — a company
  23. bass — low music
  24. ball — a round shape

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