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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. key — in music
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cue — a signal

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