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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. stem — to come from
  4. sharp — clever
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. sharp — with an edge

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