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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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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 · bound · cold · scale · dip · mate · mine

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mine — for digging
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. scale — in music
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. scale — size or range
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mate — to breed
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bound — obliged
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bound — certain

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