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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. present — there
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. staff — employees
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. swing — to play on
  14. present — the time now
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. firm — a company
  17. mug — a cup
  18. swing — music
  19. plane — a tool
  20. staff — a stick
  21. present — a gift
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mug — a face
  24. staff — employees

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