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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rest — a break
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. saw — the tool
  5. root — of a plant
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. land — to come down
  8. plane — a tool
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. saw — the tool
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rest — what's left
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. land — a country
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pit — in a race
  20. root — of a word
  21. pit — a hole
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. land — ground
  24. root — the cause

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