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

Word bank: plane · face · dip · cabinet · fork · safe · straw · wind

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wind — moving air
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. face — part of the head
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. face — to confront
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. face — to point toward
  22. dip — to sink
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. plane — a tool

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