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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. plane — a tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. hand — in cards
  7. club — for dancing
  8. saw — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. bear — the animal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. hand — help
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bear — the animal
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. root — of a word
  21. club — for golf
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. drill — a practice
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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