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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bear — the animal
  5. club — for golf
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. club — for dancing
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bear — the animal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. present — the time now
  17. club — a group
  18. sharp — clever

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