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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. spring — the season
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pass — a permit
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cell — in biology
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pit — a hole
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cell — a phone
  17. spring — of water
  18. date — the fruit
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. hand — help
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pit — in a race
  24. date — on the calendar

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