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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fall — to drop
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rock — a stone
  15. kid — child
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rock — music
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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