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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fork — in a road
  3. row — a line
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pop — soda
  12. row — to paddle
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. roll — a list
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pop — music
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. plane — a 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