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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. capital — a city
  4. file — a tool
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. file — a line of people
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bass — low music
  13. rule — a law
  14. bass — the fish
  15. capital — money
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rule — government
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. file — a document
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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