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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mate — to breed
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. lean — thin
  10. can — a tin
  11. swing — in golf
  12. can — a tin
  13. mate — a partner
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. plane — a tool
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mate — a friend
  18. drill — a practice
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. can — to be able to
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. swing — music
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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