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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. object — to protest
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. row — to paddle
  7. date — the fruit
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — for catching
  10. object — an aim
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. foot — a measure
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. object — a thing
  18. net — after costs
  19. plane — a tool
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. net — in sport
  23. row — a line
  24. foot — part of the body

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