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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rush — hurry
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. last — final
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. last — to go on
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. row — a line
  21. hand — in cards
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. last — finally

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