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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 124 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. last — final
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. last — finally
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bark — to shout
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. branch — a division
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. last — to go on
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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