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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. object — an aim
  5. pop — music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. kid — to tease
  8. object — to protest
  9. pop — soda
  10. plane — a tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. object — a thing
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. branch — a division
  15. pop — to visit
  16. kid — child
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. safe — out of danger
  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