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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. last — finally
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. kid — child
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pitch — completely
  12. kid — to tease
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. deal — to handle
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. plane — a tool
  22. last — final
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pitch — a sports field

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