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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cap — a lid
  13. root — of a plant
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. file — a document
  18. root — of a word
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. root — the cause
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. field — for sport

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