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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. present — the time now
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. dip — to sink
  6. firm — steady
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. spring — of water
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. spring — the season
  11. firm — decided
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. present — a gift
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. present — there
  19. firm — a company
  20. shower — rain
  21. spring — a coil
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fork — in a road

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