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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 120 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. charge — in control
  4. swing — in golf
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. branch — a division
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. kick — in football
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. charge — electricity
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. swing — to play on
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. swing — music
  24. charge — a price

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