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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: fork · squash · plane · rash · key · safe · charge · hide

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. charge — electricity
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. squash — to crush
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. key — in music
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fork — in a road
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. charge — in control
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rash — a series
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rash — on the skin

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