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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. spell — magic
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pitch — completely
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. root — the cause
  13. capital — a city
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. squash — the sport
  17. spell — a short time
  18. squash — to crush
  19. saw — the tool
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. spell — letters
  22. capital — money
  23. root — of a word
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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