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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · safe · key · squash · plane · land · staff · lie

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. plane — a tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fall — to drop
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. land — a country
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. staff — a stick
  10. land — ground
  11. squash — the sport
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. staff — employees
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fall — to drop
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. land — to come down
  22. fall — the season
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. key — the most important part

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