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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. plane — a tool
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cell — a phone
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cell — in biology
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. scale — in music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — a jug

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