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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — a tool
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wound — an injury
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. key — the most important part
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. shower — to wash
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tube — a container
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wound — an injury
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tube — the underground
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. key — in music
  24. net — in sport

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