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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. last — to go on
  3. fine — high quality
  4. last — final
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. last — finally
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hand — help
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. present — a gift
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. present — there
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. present — the time now
  22. content — the amount
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. content — happy

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