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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · safe · wake · cabinet · spring · race · sharp · stock

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. spring — the season
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. race — a contest
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spring — a coil
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. race — the arms race
  19. spring — of water
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. race — humankind
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. sharp — exactly

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