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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. row — to paddle
  7. clip — to cut
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fine — all right
  10. plane — a tool
  11. key — in music
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. key — for a lock
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. row — a line
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fine — high quality
  22. swing — to play on
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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