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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. kick — in football
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. plane — a tool
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. dip — to sink
  15. lean — thin
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fine — all right
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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