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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cue — a hint
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wound — an injury
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cue — for pool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pitcher — a jug

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