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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. net — in sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. net — for catching
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wake — a trail
  13. plane — a tool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rash — hasty
  16. net — after costs
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ground — a position
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rash — a series
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wake — before a funeral

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