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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. present — there
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. key — the most important part
  12. present — a gift
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. key — for a lock
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. key — in music
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wound — an injury
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. plane — an aircraft

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