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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. last — to go on
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. plane — a tool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. last — finally
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. date — the fruit
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. last — final

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