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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: roll · hand · kid · rule · mug · safe · cap · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. rule — government
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mug — a cup
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. roll — a list
  16. cap — a lid
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mug — a face
  19. rule — a law
  20. mug — to rob
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cap — a hat
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cap — of ice

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