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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. plane — a tool
  5. clip — a video
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pitch — completely
  9. key — in music
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. clip — for paper
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. key — for a lock
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spring — a coil
  21. mine — for digging
  22. spring — of water
  23. key — the most important part
  24. clip — to cut

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