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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · present · safe · tear · hand · squash · mate · staff

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hand — in cards
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. staff — employees
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. present — a gift
  9. hand — help
  10. staff — employees
  11. present — there
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mate — a partner
  14. plane — a tool
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mate — a friend
  17. squash — to crush
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. mate — to breed
  21. present — the time now
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. hand — part of the body

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