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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. tear — to rip
  13. plane — a tool
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. tear — from crying
  24. straw — dry grass

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