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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. plane — a tool
  4. swing — to play on
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wake — a trail
  7. drill — army training
  8. swing — in golf
  9. drill — the tool
  10. swing — music
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rest — what's left
  13. charge — a price
  14. rest — a break
  15. drill — a practice
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rest — what's left
  21. charge — in control
  22. pound — a weight
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. charge — electricity

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