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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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 — dry grass
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. shower — to wash
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. branch — a division
  13. row — to paddle
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. shower — rain
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  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