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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mine — for digging
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. row — a line
  15. dip — to sink
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ground — crushed
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ground — a position
  23. wake — a trail
  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