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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. field — for sport
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. spell — a short time
  6. drill — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. drill — army training
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. lie — to recline
  24. drill — a practice

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