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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rock — music
  5. staff — employees
  6. kid — to tease
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kid — child
  9. staff — employees
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. spell — magic
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. field — a subject
  15. staff — a stick
  16. field — for sport
  17. cap — of ice
  18. spell — letters
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rock — a stone
  21. spell — a short time
  22. plane — a tool
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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