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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 124 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. date — the fruit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. season — of the year
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. object — a thing
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. object — an aim
  14. plane — a tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stand — to bear
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wax — to grow
  24. object — to protest

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