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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. court — for sport
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. object — an aim
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. roll — a cake
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. court — of law
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bore — to drill
  14. plane — a tool
  15. object — to protest
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bore — to tire
  19. object — a thing
  20. roll — a list
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. toast — bread
  23. court — of a king
  24. row — to paddle

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