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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. present — the time now
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. game — wild animals
  5. last — final
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. game — a match
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. last — finally
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. can — a tin
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. present — a gift
  20. stand — to bear
  21. last — to go on
  22. present — there
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pass — a permit

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