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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — a trace
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. drill — army training
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. drill — the tool
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. drill — a practice
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. bat — for baseball

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