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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 120 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from 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. stand — on your feet
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. snap — to click
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. deal — to handle
  8. sharp — clever
  9. lie — to recline
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cue — for pool
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cue — a signal
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cue — a hint
  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