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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 120 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. foot — a measure
  4. plane — a tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. last — finally
  14. board — a committee
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wound — an injury
  24. board — to get on

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