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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. ground — the earth
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. band — a ring
  8. plane — a tool
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. ground — a position
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fine — all right
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fine — high quality
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ground — crushed

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