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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. present — the time now
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. race — a contest
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. present — a gift
  17. kid — to tease
  18. present — there
  19. mine — for digging
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. kid — child
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. plane — a tool

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