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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. capital — a city
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pitch — completely
  15. plane — a tool
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — money
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. chest — a box
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. chest — of your body
  24. march — music

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