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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. last — to go on
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pound — a weight
  8. cold — an illness
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. deal — to handle
  12. last — final
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. last — finally
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cold — not warm
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. plane — a tool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. plane — in geometry

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