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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: safe · row · wind · chip · rush · plane · charge · degree

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. row — a line
  5. chip — for betting
  6. row — to paddle
  7. charge — electricity
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rush — hurry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wind — moving air
  13. plane — a tool
  14. charge — a price
  15. chip — to eat
  16. degree — temperature
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. degree — an amount
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. charge — in control
  23. degree — from a university
  24. row — a quarrel

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