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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wound — an injury
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. coach — a trainer

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