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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 116 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. club — for dancing
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bound — obliged
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rash — hasty
  12. club — for golf
  13. hand — help
  14. rash — a series
  15. hand — in cards
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. club — a group
  19. face — to confront
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. dip — to sink

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