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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. field — a subject
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. present — the time now
  6. mark — a trace
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. field — farmland
  14. wound — an injury
  15. field — for sport
  16. foot — a measure
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. present — there
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. present — a gift
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. safe — a strongbox

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