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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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. season — in sport
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. season — of the year
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fine — all right
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mate — to breed
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fine — high quality
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. object — a thing
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. object — an aim
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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