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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chip — to eat
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cell — a phone
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cell — in biology
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. chip — for betting
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. saw — the tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bark — to shout
  24. cell — in a prison

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