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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — magic
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. plane — a tool
  6. march — the month
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. march — music
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. root — of a word
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. spell — letters
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. root — the cause
  23. stand — to bear
  24. march — the month

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