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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. tube — a container
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. object — an aim
  7. lean — to bend
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. file — a line of people
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. file — a document
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. swing — music
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. swing — in golf
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. object — to protest
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. file — a tool
  23. object — a thing
  24. lean — thin

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