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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rock — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stem — to come from
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. staff — employees
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. game — wild animals
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. rock — a stone
  21. staff — a stick
  22. game — a match
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. staff — employees

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