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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. swing — to play on
  3. object — a thing
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. object — to protest
  9. swing — music
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fall — to drop
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stock — goods
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fall — the season
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stock — shares
  22. fall — to drop
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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