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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — a tool
  5. row — to paddle
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. row — a line
  11. march — music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wind — moving air
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. object — an aim
  21. net — for catching
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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