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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cell — in biology
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. sharp — clever
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. sharp — with an edge

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