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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. key — in music
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. date — the fruit
  13. key — for a lock
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hand — help
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. shower — to wash
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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