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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pop — music
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pop — to visit
  11. fine — high quality
  12. game — a match
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pop — soda
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fine — all right
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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