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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 120 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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. drill — the tool
  3. file — a document
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mark — a grade
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. plane — a tool
  14. season — of the year
  15. bound — certain
  16. file — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. mark — a trace
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bound — obliged
  24. file — a line of people

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