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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. plane — a tool
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. land — ground
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. game — wild animals
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spring — a coil
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spring — of water
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. spring — the season
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. game — a match

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