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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rest — what's left
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. spell — letters
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rest — a break
  10. object — to protest
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. spell — magic
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. object — an aim
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fork — in a road
  21. object — a thing
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fork — a garden 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