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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. plane — a tool
  3. firm — steady
  4. rash — a series
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rock — music
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rock — a stone
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rash — hasty
  22. dip — to sink
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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