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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. suit — clothes
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cell — a phone
  6. suit — to fit
  7. ball — a great time
  8. spring — a coil
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spring — of water
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. scale — in music
  18. spring — the season
  19. cell — in biology
  20. mine — for digging
  21. plane — a tool
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. suit — in cards

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