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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. last — to go on
  4. saw — the tool
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. last — final
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. track — a song
  9. plane — a tool
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ball — a great time
  13. roll — a cake
  14. ball — a dance
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. last — finally
  17. saw — the tool
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. track — a path
  20. roll — a list
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. track — to keep track
  24. toast — bread

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