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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. spring — the season
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. chip — to eat
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chair — a leader
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. plane — a tool
  18. spring — of water
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. plane — an aircraft

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