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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. scale — in music
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. perch — the fish

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