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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. swing — to play on
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pitch — completely
  8. swing — music
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. swing — in golf
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. saw — the tool
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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