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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: leaves · plane · safe · bass · spring · cell · kick · pitcher

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bass — low music
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cell — in biology
  12. spring — the season
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. plane — a tool
  16. spring — of water
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bass — the fish
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. leaves — of a tree

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