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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. field — farmland
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. plane — a tool
  8. field — a subject
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rock — a stone
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. spring — a coil
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rock — music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spring — the season
  19. field — for sport
  20. spring — of water
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. safe — a strongbox

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