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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chest — of your body
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. clip — for paper
  9. toast — bread
  10. stock — goods
  11. chest — a box
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. clip — a video
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. clip — to cut
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cell — in biology
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. toast — the most admired

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