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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. staff — a stick
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rock — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. key — for a lock
  8. game — wild animals
  9. staff — employees
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. key — in music
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rock — a stone
  19. key — the most important part
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. staff — employees
  23. bear — the animal
  24. game — a match

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