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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wax — to grow
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. staff — employees
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. staff — a stick
  21. plane — a tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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