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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. season — of the year
  4. cue — for pool
  5. last — finally
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. plane — a tool
  14. season — in sport
  15. mine — for digging
  16. lean — thin
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cold — an illness
  19. last — to go on
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cue — a hint
  23. last — final
  24. cold — not warm

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