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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. lean — thin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. chip — to eat
  7. charge — in control
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. charge — a price
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. tear — to rip
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chip — for betting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lean — to bend

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