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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 120 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. last — final
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. season — of the year
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. craft — boats
  12. field — a subject
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. plane — a tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. craft — a skill
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — to go on
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. field — for sport
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. field — farmland
  23. fine — all right
  24. last — finally

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