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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mark — a trace
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. present — there
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lean — thin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mark — a grade
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lean — to bend
  15. board — to get on
  16. present — a gift
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. present — the time now
  21. row — to paddle
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. row — a line

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