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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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Word bank
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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. spell — magic
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. tube — a container
  5. bass — the fish
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bass — low music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spell — a short time
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spell — letters
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bass — the instrument

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