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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lie — to recline
  3. net — in sport
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. plane — a tool
  6. roll — a list
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. net — for catching
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. roll — a cake
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. net — after costs
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. plane — an aircraft

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