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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. present — the time now
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. present — there
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fine — high quality
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. present — a gift
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fine — all right
  21. staff — a stick
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bowl — to roll

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