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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 116 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. plane — a tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bass — low music
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. vault — a safe
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bass — the fish
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wind — moving air

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