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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · straw · cell · plane · nail · present · object · wind

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wind — moving air
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. object — to protest
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. plane — a tool
  9. object — a thing
  10. present — the time now
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cell — in biology
  16. present — there
  17. wind — moving air
  18. object — an aim
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cell — a phone
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. dip — to sink
  23. present — a gift
  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