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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. staff — employees
  3. hand — help
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. rock — music
  8. drill — a practice
  9. plane — a tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rash — hasty
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rock — a stone
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. drill — army training
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. kick — in football
  24. drill — the tool

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