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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. spell — letters
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mark — a trace
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rest — a break
  22. cell — in biology
  23. spell — magic
  24. plane — an aircraft

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