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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pitch — completely
  10. object — a thing
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. craft — a skill
  19. object — to protest
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. plane — a tool
  24. lash — to lash out

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