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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.

Make a worksheet

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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. land — ground
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. plane — a tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fine — all right
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stock — goods
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fine — high quality
  15. land — a country
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. saw — past of 'see'

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