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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: plane · hand · bore · fall · roll · hide · rock · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bore — to drill
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fall — to drop
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fall — to drop
  16. roll — a cake
  17. fall — the season
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bore — to tire
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. roll — a list
  24. hand — help

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