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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rock — music
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. staff — employees
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bat — the animal
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. nail — for a hammer

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