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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bound — certain
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rock — a stone
  7. last — final
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. last — finally
  10. bound — obliged
  11. last — to go on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mug — to rob
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. land — to come down
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bound — tied together
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. rock — music
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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