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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. snap — to click
  4. ground — a position
  5. bass — low music
  6. plane — a tool
  7. ground — the earth
  8. spring — a coil
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bass — the fish
  13. race — a contest
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. board — to get on
  16. ground — crushed
  17. spring — of water
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. race — humankind
  24. bass — the instrument

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