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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rest — what's left
  14. plane — a tool
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rest — a break
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. wax — to grow
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. plane — in geometry

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