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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rush — hurry
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hand — help
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ball — a great time
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. sharp — clever
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bat — the animal
  24. plane — a tool

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