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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fall — the season
  5. firm — decided
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rush — hurry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. present — the time now
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. firm — a company
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. firm — steady
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. fall — to drop
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rush — to hurry

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