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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wound — an injury
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. plane — a tool
  8. net — for catching
  9. staff — employees
  10. wound — an injury
  11. staff — employees
  12. pitch — completely
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. present — there
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. lie — to recline
  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