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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: pass · pitcher · mine · shower · row · safe · plane · craft

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. row — a line
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pass — a permit
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. craft — boats
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. shower — rain
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. shower — to wash
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mine — for digging

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