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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mark — a grade
  6. squash — the sport
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. lean — to bend
  10. track — a song
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. can — a tin
  15. mark — a trace
  16. track — a path
  17. lean — thin
  18. plane — a tool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. squash — to crush
  24. straw — dry grass

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