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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. plane — a tool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. press — to push
  11. bark — to shout
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. race — humankind
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. race — a contest
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. race — the arms race
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mouse — the animal

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