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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: mug · wind · hide · ground · swing · bass · chair · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wind — moving air
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mug — a cup
  6. ground — crushed
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. plane — a tool
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ground — a position
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mug — a face
  13. chair — a leader
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ground — the earth
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bass — low music
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. swing — music

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