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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
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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: straw · plane · wound · cabinet · fall · drill · safe · current

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wound — an injury
  4. drill — army training
  5. fall — to drop
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — the season
  10. current — of water
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. drill — a practice
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fall — to drop
  20. current — happening now
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. current — electric
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. straw — dry grass

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