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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. suit — in cards
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. squash — the sport
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stand — to bear
  10. squash — to crush
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. suit — to fit
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stand — for spectators

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