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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.

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
468
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: file · key · plane · hand · perch · stock · safe · cold

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stock — shares
  3. file — a tool
  4. stock — goods
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. file — a document
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. file — a line of people
  10. key — for a lock
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. perch — the fish
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cold — not warm
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. hand — help
  23. cold — an illness
  24. hand — in cards

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