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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rock — music
  5. ground — the earth
  6. present — a gift
  7. dip — to sink
  8. present — there
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. present — the time now
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rash — a series
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. ground — a position
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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