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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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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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. plane — in geometry
  4. suit — clothes
  5. plane — a tool
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. lean — to bend
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. key — in music
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chip — for betting
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. key — for a lock
  20. suit — to fit
  21. lean — thin
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. spring — a coil
  24. chip — to eat

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