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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. ground — crushed
  6. swing — music
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. swing — in golf
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. plane — in geometry

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