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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. ground — crushed
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ground — a position
  15. shower — to wash
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. shower — rain
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chair — a leader
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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