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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: safe · leaves · wind · pound · plane · last · drill · dip

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. drill — the tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pound — a weight
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. drill — a practice
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. drill — army training
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wind — moving air
  16. last — final
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. last — finally
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. last — to go on

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