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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. chip — to eat
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. scale — in music
  10. mine — for digging
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. plane — a tool
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chip — for betting
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. firm — steady
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stand — for spectators

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