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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rest — what's left
  10. saw — the tool
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. squash — to crush
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rest — what's left
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. saw — the tool
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rest — a break
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. charge — a price
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. charge — in control

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