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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. firm — steady
  3. lean — to bend
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. lean — thin
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. degree — temperature
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. degree — from a university
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — an aim
  17. mate — a partner
  18. firm — a company
  19. object — to protest
  20. firm — decided
  21. date — the fruit
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mate — a friend
  24. plane — a tool

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