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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. season — in sport
  3. game — wild animals
  4. season — of the year
  5. mate — a friend
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. chest — a box
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mate — to breed
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chest — of your body
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. toast — bread
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mate — a partner
  23. plane — a tool
  24. safe — out of danger

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