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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. root — of a plant
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. root — the cause
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. root — of a word
  16. wound — an injury
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bass — the fish
  21. plane — a tool
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wound — an injury

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