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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. club — for dancing
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. club — a group
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. club — for golf
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bat — the animal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. saw — the tool
  22. snap — to click
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bat — in an idiom

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