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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. sharp — clever
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. season — in sport
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. date — the fruit
  11. mate — to breed
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mate — a friend
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. clip — to cut
  17. plane — a tool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. season — of the year
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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