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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. plane — a tool
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. file — a document
  7. firm — decided
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. present — a gift
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. file — a line of people
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. present — the time now
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. present — there
  24. file — a tool

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