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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 120 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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rush — hurry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. degree — from a university
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. net — after costs
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rock — music
  12. degree — temperature
  13. net — in sport
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. net — for catching
  20. kick — in football
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. safe — out of danger

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