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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mug — to rob
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mate — a friend
  7. tube — a container
  8. mate — a partner
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. suit — clothes
  12. swing — music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mate — to breed
  16. suit — to fit
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mug — a face
  19. tube — the underground
  20. swing — to play on
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. swing — in golf
  24. plane — an aircraft

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