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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. last — to go on
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. last — finally
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. last — final
  16. lean — to bend
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. field — for sport
  20. lean — thin
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. lean — to rest against

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