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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. season — in sport
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cue — a signal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. hand — help
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. firm — a company
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cue — for pool
  12. hand — in cards
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cue — a hint
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. season — of the year
  20. dip — to sink
  21. firm — steady
  22. mine — for digging
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mine — an explosive

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