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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: hand · safe · net · bore · plane · fine · tear · rest

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. net — for catching
  3. bore — to drill
  4. fine — all right
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. hand — help
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rest — a break
  15. net — in sport
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bore — to tire
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rest — what's left
  20. tear — from crying
  21. net — after costs
  22. fine — high quality
  23. plane — in geometry
  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