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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. firm — decided
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. plane — a tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. firm — steady
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. saw — the tool
  10. foot — a measure
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rock — music
  16. suit — to fit
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. suit — in cards
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. wound — an injury
  24. firm — a company

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