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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. plane — a tool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lean — to bend
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. chair — a leader
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rush — hurry

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