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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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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: game · hand · cabinet · plane · leaves · safe · sharp · kid

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. hand — help
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kid — child
  18. plane — a tool
  19. game — a match
  20. kid — to tease
  21. hand — in cards
  22. game — wild animals
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. safe — out of danger

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