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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. drill — a practice
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. hand — in cards
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stock — shares
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. drill — army training
  11. stock — goods
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. plane — a tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cap — a hat
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cap — a lid

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