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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 120 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mark — a trace
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. snap — to click
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. plane — a tool
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bound — certain
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bound — obliged
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wind — moving air

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