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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 120 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. drill — army training
  4. swing — music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. drill — the tool
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pop — music
  11. board — a committee
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pop — soda
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. row — a line
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pop — to visit
  18. row — to paddle
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. drill — a practice
  22. board — to get on
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. swing — to play on

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