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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bank — for money
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bank — for money
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bank — of a river
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. club — for dancing
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bear — the animal
  18. club — a group
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cell — in biology
  21. club — for golf
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cell — in a prison
  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