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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. band — a ring
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. club — for golf
  12. face — to confront
  13. band — a music group
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. plane — a tool
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. club — a group
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bay — a horse colour

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