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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spring — a coil
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. spring — of water
  10. net — after costs
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spring — the season
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. net — for catching
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. net — in sport
  24. plane — a tool

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