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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 116 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. row — to paddle
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pitch — completely
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. swing — in golf
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. row — a line
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. swing — music

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