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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. track — a path
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. firm — a company
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pass — a permit
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. hand — help
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. track — to keep track
  24. plane — in geometry

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