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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. key — in music
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. net — in sport
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — the time now
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. net — for catching
  9. present — a gift
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stem — to come from
  13. plane — a tool
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. key — for a lock
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. key — the most important part
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. present — there
  23. net — after costs
  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