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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lean — to bend
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. snap — to click
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bat — the animal
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lean — thin
  22. tube — a container
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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