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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: pop · row · club · safe · plane · foot · lie · file

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. row — a line
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. lie — to recline
  9. plane — a tool
  10. club — for golf
  11. file — a document
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. club — a group
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. club — for dancing
  18. foot — a measure
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. file — a tool
  22. row — to paddle
  23. file — a line of people
  24. foot — part of the body

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