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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cap — of ice
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fall — to drop
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bound — certain
  9. fall — to drop
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bound — obliged
  13. net — for catching
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. net — after costs
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fall — the season
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cap — a lid
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. net — in sport

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