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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. charge — a price
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. charge — in control
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. charge — electricity
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cabinet — ministers
  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