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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. land — ground
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lean — thin
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. land — a country
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ball — a great time
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. ball — a dance
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fork — in a road
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bowl — to roll

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