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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — a tool
  5. suit — to fit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. scale — in music
  13. cell — in biology
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. chair — a leader
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cell — a phone
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. suit — clothes

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