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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bear — the animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. swing — to play on
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. plane — a tool
  14. current — electric
  15. rule — a law
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rule — government
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. current — of water
  22. swing — music
  23. current — happening now
  24. plane — in geometry

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