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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. deal — to handle
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. kid — child
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bass — low music
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. kid — to tease
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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