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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 120 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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wind — moving air
  3. last — finally
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. last — final
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stock — shares
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. stock — goods
  14. root — the cause
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. last — to go on
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. plane — a tool
  20. root — of a word
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. safe — out of danger

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