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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cap — of ice
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wake — a trail
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cap — a hat
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cap — a lid

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