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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.

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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. saw — the tool
  6. march — the month
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. game — a match
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. game — wild animals
  11. suit — clothes
  12. saw — the tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. march — the month
  17. suit — to fit
  18. plane — a tool
  19. land — ground
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. march — music
  23. suit — in cards
  24. staff — a stick

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