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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. capital — a city
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stem — to come from
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bound — obliged
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bound — certain
  21. capital — money
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. deal — an agreement

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