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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. present — a gift
  3. cold — an illness
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. cold — not warm
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. present — there
  14. key — the most important part
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. present — the time now
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. safe — out of danger

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