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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. ground — crushed
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. swing — music
  14. kick — in football
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ground — a position
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ground — the earth
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. saw — the tool
  22. swing — in golf
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. swing — to play on

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