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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tear — to rip
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. march — music
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. march — the month
  10. dip — to sink
  11. tear — from crying
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. tear — from crying
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. march — the month

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