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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mark — a trace
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fine — all right
  6. capital — money
  7. wound — an injury
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. capital — a city
  17. tube — a container
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. tear — to rip
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fine — high quality
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. tear — from crying

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