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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 120 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: chip · ruler · swing · stand · plane · pit · straw · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. plane — a tool
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pit — a hole
  9. swing — music
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. swing — in golf
  14. chip — for betting
  15. stand — to bear
  16. swing — to play on
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pit — in a race
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wake — a trail

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