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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. file — a tool
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rash — a series
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. file — a line of people
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bass — low music
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. file — a document
  20. content — happy
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wax — to grow
  24. cell — a phone

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