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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. lean — to bend
  7. firm — a company
  8. current — happening now
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. firm — decided
  11. lean — thin
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. drill — army training
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. plane — a tool
  17. firm — steady
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. current — electric
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. current — of water
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. straw — a straw man

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