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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cell — in biology
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. race — a contest
  9. wax — to grow
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wound — an injury
  15. race — humankind
  16. clip — for paper
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wound — an injury
  19. clip — a video
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. clip — to cut
  23. cell — a phone
  24. safe — a strongbox

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