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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. lean — to bend
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. court — of law
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mine — for digging
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lean — thin
  19. court — of a king
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. court — for sport
  24. fork — in a road

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