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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. suit — clothes
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. plane — a tool
  14. craft — a skill
  15. suit — to fit
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. craft — boats
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. sharp — clever
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. plane — an aircraft

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