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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. current — electric
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bulb — for light
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. plane — a tool
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bear — to put up with

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