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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. field — a subject
  4. mark — a trace
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. field — farmland
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mark — a grade
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. field — for sport
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. suit — clothes
  19. saw — the tool
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. sharp — clever
  22. suit — to fit
  23. plane — a tool
  24. suit — in cards

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