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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 120 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. plane — a tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. hand — in cards
  6. club — for golf
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. hand — help
  12. club — a group
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mate — a friend
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rash — hasty
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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