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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: shower · court · plane · foot · bay · safe · row · stick

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. row — a line
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. court — of a king
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. shower — rain
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. court — for sport
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. row — to paddle
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. court — of law
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. foot — a measure
  22. shower — to wash
  23. plane — a tool
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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