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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: safe · content · last · plane · rush · sharp · field · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spell — letters
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. plane — a tool
  7. last — finally
  8. field — a subject
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. last — to go on
  16. content — happy
  17. spell — a short time
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. content — the amount
  20. field — farmland
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. last — final
  23. field — for sport
  24. plane — an aircraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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