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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.

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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bear — the animal
  6. plane — a tool
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. land — to come down
  9. key — in music
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. key — the most important part
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. degree — temperature
  14. key — for a lock
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bear — the animal
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. degree — an amount
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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