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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. swing — music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. charge — in control
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pop — soda
  14. charge — electricity
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mark — a trace
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. charge — a price
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. swing — to play on
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. plane — in geometry

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