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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mug — a face
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. snap — to click
  13. plane — a tool
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bat — the animal
  18. press — newspapers
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mug — a cup
  22. vault — a safe
  23. press — to push
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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