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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. plane — a tool
  3. race — humankind
  4. season — in sport
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mug — a face
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. content — happy
  11. mug — to rob
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. season — of the year
  17. race — the arms race
  18. content — the amount
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. race — a contest
  24. plane — in geometry

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