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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. swing — in golf
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. swing — music
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. swing — to play on
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bound — obliged
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. straw — a straw man

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