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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. present — the time now
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. sharp — clever
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. last — finally
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. last — final
  12. present — there
  13. snap — to click
  14. present — a gift
  15. last — to go on
  16. season — in sport
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. season — of the year
  20. plane — a tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. prune — the fruit

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