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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.

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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. key — in music
  9. plane — a tool
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. land — a country
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. spell — letters
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. key — the most important part
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spell — magic
  22. bark — to shout
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. land — ground

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