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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. can — to be able to
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. club — a group
  9. sharp — clever
  10. race — the arms race
  11. saw — the tool
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. can — a tin
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. plane — a tool
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. can — a tin
  22. saw — the tool
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. jam — in traffic

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