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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mark — a trace
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mark — a grade
  9. chair — a leader
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. staff — employees
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. staff — employees
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. plane — a tool

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