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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mine — for digging
  14. season — in sport
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. season — of the year
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wake — a trail
  24. season — to add flavour

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