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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. prune — to trim
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. saw — the tool
  8. scale — in music
  9. mark — a trace
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. saw — the tool
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. plane — a tool
  17. scale — size or range
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ruler — for measuring

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