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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 120 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: hand · plane · safe · race · bore · fan · last · key

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. race — the arms race
  4. last — to go on
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bore — to drill
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. last — finally
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. last — final
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. key — in music
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bore — to tire

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