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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wind — moving air
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. hand — help
  5. cue — for pool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. capital — a city
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. capital — money
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wind — moving air
  17. plane — a tool
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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