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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mate — a partner
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ground — crushed
  9. present — the time now
  10. mate — to breed
  11. present — there
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mate — a friend
  14. present — a gift
  15. ground — a position
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. leaves — lets stay

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