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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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. present — a gift
  3. cap — a hat
  4. file — a line of people
  5. suit — to fit
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. present — the time now
  9. cap — of ice
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. suit — clothes
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. present — there
  14. file — a document
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. plane — a tool
  17. board — a committee
  18. file — a tool
  19. board — to get on
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. ground — crushed
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. cap — a lid

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