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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · present · snap · safe · plane · scale · bat · field

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. present — a gift
  4. can — to be able to
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. field — a subject
  10. bat — the animal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. field — for sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. scale — size or range
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. can — a tin
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. field — farmland
  21. present — there
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. scale — in music
  24. plane — in geometry

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