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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. plane — a tool
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. can — to be able to
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bound — obliged
  13. saw — the tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. can — a tin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. saw — the tool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. can — a tin
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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