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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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. plane — a tool
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. fork — in a road
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. coach — a trainer

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