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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wake — a trail
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. current — happening now
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. key — in music
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. key — for a lock
  15. current — electric
  16. key — the most important part
  17. current — of water
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. fan — a supporter

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