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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. row — a line
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. row — to paddle
  8. current — of water
  9. key — for a lock
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chair — a leader
  14. stem — to come from
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. current — electric
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. current — happening now
  24. squash — the sport

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