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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stock — shares
  3. bound — certain
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. hand — help
  7. bound — tied together
  8. stock — goods
  9. drill — a practice
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bound — obliged
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. drill — the tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. hand — in cards
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. drill — army training
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. plane — a tool
  24. dip — a sauce

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