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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. suit — clothes
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. suit — in cards
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. dip — to sink
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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