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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. shower — rain
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stock — goods
  9. shower — to wash
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bear — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bear — the animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stock — shares
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. plane — an aircraft

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