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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 124 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. key — the most important part
  6. plane — a tool
  7. scale — size or range
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. object — an aim
  12. ball — a dance
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. key — for a lock
  15. scale — in music
  16. key — in music
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. chair — a leader
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. scale — for weighing

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