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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wind — moving air
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. spring — of water
  7. drill — a practice
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. roll — a list
  10. spring — a coil
  11. drill — army training
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. drill — the tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spring — the season
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wind — moving air
  20. toast — bread
  21. plane — a tool
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. toast — the most admired

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