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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. cold — an illness
  6. land — a country
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. board — a committee
  9. land — to come down
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. board — to get on
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cold — not warm
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. land — ground
  18. object — a thing
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. object — to protest
  21. cap — a lid
  22. object — an aim
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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