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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cap — a lid
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. board — to get on
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. current — electric
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cap — of ice
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. board — a committee
  18. chair — a leader
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cap — a hat

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