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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. plane — a tool
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. game — a match
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. degree — temperature
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. charge — in control
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. game — wild animals
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. charge — electricity
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. charge — a price
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitch — completely
  24. degree — from a university

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