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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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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: wind · safe · deal · plane · key · present · mate · roll

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. key — for a lock
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. key — in music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mate — a friend
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. plane — a tool
  15. present — a gift
  16. mate — to breed
  17. key — the most important part
  18. roll — a list
  19. deal — to handle
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mate — a partner
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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