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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. swing — in golf
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pit — in a race
  8. chip — for betting
  9. swing — music
  10. pit — a hole
  11. can — a tin
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. swing — to play on
  18. plane — a tool
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. tear — from crying
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tear — to rip
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. straw — dry grass

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