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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. tube — a container
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. ground — the earth
  9. march — music
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. ground — crushed
  12. march — the month
  13. spell — magic
  14. tube — the underground
  15. spell — a short time
  16. ground — a position
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. march — the month
  20. spell — letters
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. kick — in football
  24. plane — a tool

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